17/01/2026
The Body’s Built-In Alarm System (and how to calm it)
Hey hey 💛
Did you know there’s a small part of your brain called the amygdala that acts like your body’s alarm system? 🚨
Its job is to keep you safe 💪
The amygdala doesn’t think things through though 🙄 it just reacts. This is perfect if we’re in real danger, but the problem is, it can’t always tell the difference between real danger, old memories, or worrying thoughts and stories, it just reacts anyway 😔
So if you’ve been through stress or trauma, it might sound the alarm even when you’re actually safe.
The amygdala may become hyper-vigilant… or it may just get stuck.
That’s why anxiety isn’t “all in your head”.
It’s your nervous system doing its best to protect you.
When this internal alarm is switched on, it can show up in lots of different ways, such as:
• a racing or pounding heart
• tightness in your chest, throat, or stomach
• shallow or rapid breathing
• feeling on edge, jumpy, or unable to relax
• constant worry or a sense that something bad is about to happen
• feeling foggy or struggling to concentrate
• wanting to withdraw, hide away, or avoid things
• feeling tearful, irritable, or overwhelmed for no clear reason
• difficulty sleeping or waking up already tense
Sometimes the alarm is loud and obvious.
Other times it’s a low-level hum that never quite switches off.
And none of this means there’s anything wrong with you.
It simply means your nervous system has learned to stay alert.
Here are a few gentle ways to help calm that alarm and bring your body back to safety:
✨ Ground your body
Press your feet into the floor and notice the support beneath you.
✨ Slow your breathing
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, letting the exhale be a little longer.
✨ Use gentle touch
A hand on your chest, belly, or a soft self-hug can signal safety to the nervous system.
✨ Look around you
Name 3 things you can see, 2 you can hear, and 1 you can feel — helping your brain realise you’re in the present.
✨ Imagine a safe place
Picture somewhere calm and comforting and let your body soften into it.
Small, gentle steps like these help the amygdala stand down and remind your body that it’s safe right now 🥰
When you work with me around anxiety, stress or trauma, working towards establishing safety in the body is always the first step.
The mind can’t process things properly if your internal alarm system is going off all the time 🩷
If you recognise yourself in this, it might be your nervous system asking for a little support. 🙋♀️
I work gently with anxiety, stress and trauma, starting with safety in the body.
Send me a message if you’d like to explore working together 🩷
